JMPD braces planed march by metered taxi drivers

Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) are bracing for a busy day ahead of a planned march by metered taxi drivers.

JMPD braces planed march by metered taxi drivers

Reports say drivers are set to march to the Gautrain offices after a lengthy turf war with Uber operators around Gautrain stations.

Johannesburg Metro Police say on Wednesday the group was denied a permit for the demonstration on as their application didn’t meet the seven-day notice period of intention to march.

In scenes similar to those witnessed.

This follows an alleged attack between Metered taxi drivers and Uber operator in Pretoria which occurred on Wednesday after chaos irrupted in Sandton and the Johannesburg CBD in recent months

Despite the rejection of permission to strike today, the police and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) says they anticipate that the strike will still go ahead.

The JMPD’s Edna Mamonyane says: “From other sources, we’ve heard that the drivers will probably be near the R21 and R24 because they wanted to block the roads.”

The strike said it will also affect the N3 Gillooley’s Interchange at the East Gate Shopping Centre and possibly the airport too.

Police officers have been put in place to monitor the situation specifically the targeted area.

Management at OR Tambo International Airport has pleaded with passengers to allow delays and longer traveling time to the airport.

It’s understood the protesters might gather in the airport’s vicinity.

The airport’s Leigh Gunkel-Keuler says: “Given the potential of this taxi-operator strike and as part of our airport operations contingency planning, we do remain in close contact with the metro authorities and the South African Police Service in order to keep the routes into and out of the airport open.”